Power-operated window regulator



Oct. 24, 1944. w LAKlN 7 2,361,037

POWER OPERATED WINDOW REGULATOR Original Filed March 2?, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN 0d. 24, 1944. J w, K 2,361,037

POWER OPERATED. WINDOW REGULATOR Original Filed March 27, l942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7577 1 I44 Zia/(1' Patented Oct. 24, 1944 2,361,037 POWER- OPERATED WINDOW REGULATOR John W. Lakin, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a. corporation of Michigan Original application March 27, 1942, Serial No. 436,478. Divided and this application July 17, 1943, Serial No. 495,103

Claims. (Cl. 268-119) This application is a division of application Serial No. 436,478, filed March 27, 1942.

. This invention relates to an electrically operated window regulator for operating the swinging panel of a Fisher no-draft ventilating system.

In recent years the no-draft ventilating system has been used for the Windows of the front doors of automobiles. This comprises a rear vertical sliding panel and a front swinging panel. The front panel swings on an intermediate axis. The front and rear panels are ordinarily opeiated with separate hand cranks. However, with the type of torpedo bodies that have been used in the last two or three years, the bodies are so wide that it is very inconvenient for the driver to reach across and operate the cranks on the curb door. On this account power operated w indow regulators have been introduced, but these power operated window regulators are designed to operate only the rear vertical sliding panel.

It is the object of the present invention to afford a. power operated mechanism for operating the swinging panel. One of the objects of the invention is to provide apparatus which has increasingly greater mechanical advantage as the window closes so as to be able to provide the greatest force in jamming the window against the rubber weatherstrips. Another object is to provide mechanism in which there is an automatic look so it is practically impossible, if not impossible, to pry the window open to get a wire into the car for the purpose of operating the inside handle opening the door.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile showing the Fisher no-draft ventilating system.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the apparatus installed in the window well. a

Fig. 5 is a detail of the gearing.

Referring to Fig. 1, l designates the sliding rear panel of the Fisher no-draft ventilating system. 2 designates the swinging panel of this ventilating system which is power operated by the electric motor M in a way now to be described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3: A motor M has a worm l9 which meshes with worm gear 20, driving shaft 2| and worm 22 which meshes with worm gears 23 and 24. Worm gear 23 is attached to an operating shaft 25 in the upper end of which is a socket 26 for receiving the spindle of the ventilating panel, such a spindle as is shown at I! in Fig. 4. Here is a direct worm gear drive from the motor to the operating shaft which operates the ventilating panel spindle. In order to provide a greater mechanical advantage worm gear 24 drives a crank 21 fastened to the end of the shaft 28. Crank 21 is provided with a crank pin 29 which engages the arm 30 of lever 3|. Lever 3| is connected with a crank arm 32 which is secured on the end of the operating shaft 25. A link 33 connects the end of lever 3| with crank 32 forming a toggle. As gear 24 is revolved, at the same time the gear 23 is revolved by a worm 22, this crank pin 29 strikes the jaw 30 of toggle arm 3| during the last stages of themovement of the parts and applies a right-angular thrust to the toggle arms and, consequently, affords a relatively great mechanical advantage; This arrangement, therefore, provides a relatively great force for closing the window against the rubber sealing strips, such as shown at 34 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows that there is a certain amount of looseness in the gears which, of course, is exaggerated in the figure for the purpose of illustration. The gearing connection between the motor afl'orded b-yworm l9, worm wheel 20, worm 22, worm wheel 23 and spindle 25, affords a direct drive from the motor to the swinging panel and this will be called the first transmission. The second transmission is afforded through the same worms and worm wheels, the gear 24, the crank 21, the crank pin 49, jaw 30, the toggle levers 3| and 33 and the crank 32. This is only effective in the last stages of the closing of the window for the purpose of jamming the window into the rubber sealing strip 34 and also for the purpose of providing a suflicient lock to prevent the window being pried open.

The mechanical advantage of this second transmission can only be secured by the reduction of the turning movement of the spindle 25 for a given travel of the common operating worm 22 of the two gears 23 and 24. It is obvious, therefore, that the two transmissions tend to cause the spindle 25 and its attached gear 23 to move at different speeds. Hence, there is inevitably a collision of the parts and, therefore, the movement that can be effected in this phase can be only a very limited one at a properly timed point in the swinging of the panel, to wit: its final closing stage. These opposing efforts are only permissable by reason of the looseness in the gears, shown in exaggeration in Fig. 5, and also a certain spring or distortion of the parts that may take place within their elastic limits. However, the looseness and the permissable distortion will allow suflicient movement of the toggle arms to effect this Jamming and locking ac- .tion above referred to.

I claim:

1. In a power operated apparatus for closing a swinging panel having a spindle in a no-draft" ventilating system, the combination of a motor, reduction gearing driven by the said motor, a shaft in the upper end of which the spindle ot the panel is arranged to engage so that the tuming pf the shaft turns the said panel, said shaft having a direct driving connection with said gearing, a pair of toggle members arranged to be also driven by the reduction gearing and serving to make a second driving connection of the reduction gearing with the said shaft for rotation thereof, the said reduction gearing connection serving during the last stages of the rotation of the shaft to transmit to the toggle a driving eifort transversely of the center line of the toggle so as to multiply the mechanical advantage during the last stages of closing and as the toggle members approach a straight-line position in which position the toggle arms provide a lock against effort to pry the window open.

2. In a power operated apparatus for closing a swinging panel in a "no-draft" ventilating systom, the combination of a shaft for swinging said panel rotatably supported and having thereon a gear, reduction gearing meshing with said gear for conveying the driving effort from a source of power to the gear, a second gear also driven by the reduction gearing and a pair of toggle members, the end of one of which is connected to help rotate the said shaft, the toggle arms being arranged to be actuated as they approach their center-line position through said second gear which communicates to the said toggle arms a transverse thrust to increase the mechanical advantage and force delivered to the shaft.

3. In a power operated apparatus for closing a swinging panel in a "no-draft" ventilating system, the combination of a shaft for swinging said panel rotatably supported and having thereon a gear, reduction gearing meshing with said gear for conveying the driving effort from a source of power to the gear, a second gear also driven by the reduction gearing and a pair of toggle members, the end of one of which is connected by a crank to said shaft to help rotate th shaft and one of said toggle arms provided with a law and the second gear provided with a crank arm and pin arranged to strike the jaw as the toggle arms approach their center-line position to impart a transverse thrust to said toggle to increase ntiliz hanical advantage and force delivered to the s ft.

4. In a power operated apparatus for closing a swinging panel having a spindle in a "no-draft" ventilating system, the combination or a motor. a transmission for driving the said spindle from the motor, said transmission having some slack therein and a second transmission from the motor for aiding in driving the spindle only in the final stages of the closing of the swinging panel and having a relatively greater mechanical advantage than the first mentioned transmission, said second transmission being efiective on-said spindle by virtue of said slack in the first transmission.

5. In a power operated apparatus for closing a swinging panel having a spindle in a fno-draft ventilating system, the combination of a motor, a gear type transmission for driving the said spindle from the motor and provided with some looseness in the intermeshing gears, and a second transmission from the motor for aiding in driving the spindle only in the final stages of the closing of the swinging panel and havin a lever arrangement taking effect upon the spindle by reason of said looseness in the gears and involving a greater movement of the driving end of the transmission connected with the motor for a given movement of the driven end of the second transmission connected with the said spindle than is the case with the first mentioned transmission.

JOHN W. LAKIN. 

